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Departmental Expenditure

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his estimate is of the expenditure of his Department on newspapers, magazines and periodicals in 2002. [106314]

Beverley Hughes: The provisional estimate of expenditure (subject to audit) for the Home Office and Agencies during 2002–03 was £46,300. This does not include expenditure by Non-Departmental Public Bodies (NDPBs)—collection of this data could only be achieved at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Pay

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress has been made with the pay review in his Department, agencies and non-departmental public bodies for which he is responsible, with particular reference to the gender pay gap; and if he will make a statement. [106739]

Hilary Benn: In response to the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) Task Force "Just Pay" report, the Government has committed all departments and agencies to review their pay systems by April 2003 and prepare action plans to close any gaps. The Cabinet Office issued comprehensive guidance in January 2002 to assist departments and agencies in carrying out these reviews. Additional guidance on the completing of action plans was issued in early March 2003. The Home Office and its agencies will be completing their reviews by April 2003 followed by their action plans to close any equal pay gaps.

DNA Database

Dr. Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many DNA profiles are held on the UK national DNA database; and how many DNA samples have been retained. [106874]

Mr. Bob Ainsworth: The total number of profiles held on the database at 25 March 2003 was 2,094,858. The Forensic Science Service calculate that these profiles relate to an estimated 1,886,000 different individuals.

Dr. Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many individuals have their DNA held on the UK national DNA database broken down by (a) offence with which they have been charged, (b) age, (c) ethnic origin and (d) gender; and what percentage of DNA profiles held on the UK national DNA database relate to individuals who have been convicted of a recordable offence. [106875]

Mr. Bob Ainsworth: The record on the national DNA database (NDNAD) for an individual contains fields for name, age (at the time the sample was taken), ethnic origin and gender. The NDNAD does not have a reporting mechanism in place for breaking down the numbers on it according to these categories. Specialist software would need to be written to generate this data.

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A record on the NDNAD does not include the offence code associated with DNA sampling, nor does it include information as to whether the individual concerned has been convicted.

Dr. Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of serving police officers have voluntarily provided DNA samples to be held on the UK National DNA Database; what personal data is stored with an individual's DNA profile on the UK National DNA Database; and which other databases may be linked to the UK National DNA Database by the police. [106876]

Mr. Bob Ainsworth: Regulations have recently been changed so that officers joining the police now can be required to give a DNA sample as a condition of service; for officers who joined before that change, it continues to be a voluntary matter whether they give a sample or not. Samples from police officers are added to the Police Elimination Database (RED), not to the main National DNA Database (NDNAD). As at 28 February 2003, there were 61,800 records retained on the RED from English and Welsh police forces, about 48 per cent. of the number of serving officers. The purpose of the RED is to eliminate DNA which officers may unintentionally deposit at a crime scene that they attend in the course of police duties. As a substantial proportion of officers do not attend crime scenes, they have never been asked to provide a sample. If an officer is suspected of committing a crime, they may be required to give a sample for the National DNA Database in the same circumstances as other members of the public.

Records on the NDNAD for an individual contain fields for name, age (at the time the sample was taken), ethnic origin and gender.

A permanent link between the Police National Computer and the NDNAD was created in November 2001 to ensure that data regarding the eligibility of individuals for DNA sampling is up-to-date. No other links exist.

Dr. Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what response the Government have made to the Human Genetics Commission's recommendations in their report, Inside Information, of May 2002, that (a) the Government should promote a greater degree of dialogue about the justification for the apparent increase in the range of offences for which DNA samples may be taken, (b) the Home Office and the Association of Chief Police Officers establish an independent body, including lay membership, to oversee the work of the national DNA database custodian and the profile suppliers and (c) consideration be given to the creation of a criminal offence of the non-consensual or deceitful obtaining and analysis of personal genetic information for non-medical purposes. [106913]

Mr. Bob Ainsworth: The Government response to the main recommendations of the Human Genetics Commission report will be published shortly. This response will address the issues raised by my hon. Friend at points (b) and (c).

Under the provisions of section 63 of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984, the police may take non-intimate DNA samples from all those charged with, informed they will be reported for, or convicted of a

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recordable offence. The police may also take a non-intimate sample from those suspected of a recordable offence where there are grounds for believing the sample will tend to confirm or disprove the suspect's involvement. There are no plans to amend the category of offences for which a non-intimate sample may be taken.

A recordable offence is one set out in the National Police Records (Recordable Offences) Regulations 2000 (S.I. 2000 No. 1139).

Elizabeth Jensko

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the reasons for the retention by his Department of the passport of Mrs. Elizabeth Jensko, Beatty Avenue, Leicester, date of birth 30 March 1979. [106931]

Beverley Hughes: The Home Office was sent the passport in question in support of an application relating to an immigration matter. Due to an unfortunate administrative oversight this passport had not been returned as swiftly as should have been the case. The passport has now been sent, along with a letter of apology for the unacceptable delay, directly to Mrs. Jensko at her home address.

Holloway Prison

Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to his answer of 25 March 2003, Official Report, column 151W, on staff shortages in Holloway Prison, what the financial cost was of the education hours cancelled at Holloway Prison from February 2002 to January 2003; and how many hours he estimates will be lost in the next 12 months, and at what cost. [106663]

Hilary Benn: It is estimated that the cost of lost education hours at Holloway from February 2002 to January 2003 is £145,883. It is anticipated that approximately 834 education hours will be lost at Holloway over the next 12 months at a cost of £29,430. This is based on the need to close education one day each month to provide staff with the training necessary to operate in a prison environment.

Immigration and Nationality Directorate

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he last visited the Public Enquiry Office at the Immigration and Nationality Directorate. [105633]

Beverley Hughes: My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary visited the Immigration and Nationality Directorate's Public Enquiry Office in Croydon on 26 June 2001.

I visited the Public Enquiry Office on 20 June 2002.

I receive regular reports on the overall performance of the Immigration and Nationality Directorate's After Entry Casework area, including the Public Enquiry Office. I have taken a close interest in the major refurbishment of the front entrance to the Croydon Public Enquiry Office and last met officials on 10 March to discuss the details of this initiative.

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Iraq

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) groups and (b) individuals he has met from the Asian community concerning the Iraq war. [105636]

Beverley Hughes: Home Office Ministers have continued to meet representatives of various minority communities as part of the Government's continuing commitment to listen to, protect and reassure all parts of our diverse multi-cultural society on a range of issues of concern to them.

My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary, attended two events in March where he spoke on Race and Diversity and Community Cohesion issues, attended by members of the Asian community. My noble Friend (Lord Filkin), who holds lead responsibility for community relations, has met two Sikh individuals and six Muslim, Hindu and Arab groups over the same time period.

It is important however to recognise that it is the nurturing of a variety of open communication channels between Government and a range of different representatives which is key to preserving good community relations in this country. The level and nature of this dialogue has significantly changed for the better since the previous Gulf conflict in 1991.

Lord Filkin has recently written to leading representatives of the Hindu, Jewish, Muslim and Sikh communities reassuring them of the Government's commitment to providing protection to all its citizens and communities, and encouraging them to report any incident that makes them feel frightened or insecure to the police.

We will of course continue both during and in the aftermath of the current conflict in Iraq, to give sympathetic consideration to any specific requests for meetings that we receive from individuals or groups representing particular communities.

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